Spring City, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spring City, Tennessee
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| Town of Spring City | |
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Location of Spring City in Rhea County, Tennessee.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Rhea |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.80 sq mi (7.25 km2) |
| • Land | 2.76 sq mi (7.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 768 ft (234 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,949 |
| • Density | 705.14/sq mi (272.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
37337, 37381
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| Area code(s) | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-70400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1303755 |
Spring City is a town in Rhea County, Tennessee, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,949 people lived there. The town is located near Watts Bar Lake. You can also find the Watts Bar Dam and the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station close by.
Contents
History of Spring City
Spring City started as a stop on the Cincinnati Southern Railroad in the 1870s. It was first called Sulphur Springs because of the natural sulfur in its water. Later, it was known as "Rheaville."
The town then joined with nearby Rhea Springs and took that name. After a big explosion, much of the town was damaged by floods or fire. So, the town moved to its current spot. It was renamed Spring City to honor its first name, Sulphur Springs. The original town site is now underwater in Watts Bar Lake.
Railroad Hub and Growth
Spring City became a busy place for shipping goods by train in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The first train station, a simple wooden building from 1879, burned down in 1892. A bigger one replaced it. The current train station was finished in 1909 by the Southern Railway.
Watts Bar Facilities
The town's economy got a boost in 1942. This was when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) finished building the Watts Bar Dam. They also created the Watts Bar Lake southeast of the town. In the same year, the Watts Bar Fossil Plant was completed. This was TVA's first power plant that used coal.
In 1973, TVA started building the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. Its first reactor, Watts Bar Unit 1, began working in 1996. Building the second reactor, Watts Bar Unit 2, stopped in 1985. But work started again in 2007. It began operating in October 2016.
Important Events
On August 22, 1955, a serious accident happened at a train crossing in Spring City. A school bus was hit by a freight train. This led to many injuries and a tragic loss of life among the schoolchildren.
On July 28, 2016, a train carrying coal went off its tracks near the train station and museum. This happened because of a problem with one of the coal cars. Luckily, no one was hurt. A long cleanup followed, and both train crossings in town had to be closed for repairs.
Geography of Spring City
Spring City is located at 35°41′22″N 84°51′50″W / 35.68944°N 84.86389°W.
The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Climate in Spring City
Spring City has a varied climate. Here's a look at the typical weather:
| Climate data for Spring City, Tennessee, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2003–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
81 (27) |
85 (29) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
103 (39) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
96 (36) |
96 (36) |
85 (29) |
76 (24) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.7 (18.7) |
71.1 (21.7) |
79.5 (26.4) |
84.5 (29.2) |
87.3 (30.7) |
92.5 (33.6) |
94.1 (34.5) |
94.0 (34.4) |
90.5 (32.5) |
84.3 (29.1) |
73.4 (23.0) |
67.9 (19.9) |
95.8 (35.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.5 (8.6) |
51.7 (10.9) |
60.4 (15.8) |
70.6 (21.4) |
77.2 (25.1) |
83.9 (28.8) |
86.9 (30.5) |
86.7 (30.4) |
81.0 (27.2) |
70.8 (21.6) |
58.8 (14.9) |
50.3 (10.2) |
68.8 (20.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.9 (2.7) |
40.5 (4.7) |
47.8 (8.8) |
57.0 (13.9) |
65.3 (18.5) |
73.0 (22.8) |
76.7 (24.8) |
75.9 (24.4) |
69.7 (20.9) |
58.2 (14.6) |
46.8 (8.2) |
39.9 (4.4) |
57.3 (14.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.2 (−3.2) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
35.2 (1.8) |
43.5 (6.4) |
53.5 (11.9) |
62.2 (16.8) |
66.5 (19.2) |
65.2 (18.4) |
58.4 (14.7) |
45.5 (7.5) |
34.8 (1.6) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
45.8 (7.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 9.9 (−12.3) |
14.9 (−9.5) |
20.0 (−6.7) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
37.1 (2.8) |
53.0 (11.7) |
58.2 (14.6) |
57.3 (14.1) |
46.5 (8.1) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
8.1 (−13.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −5 (−21) |
0 (−18) |
15 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
24 (−4) |
47 (8) |
51 (11) |
47 (8) |
40 (4) |
25 (−4) |
12 (−11) |
3 (−16) |
−5 (−21) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.71 (145) |
5.24 (133) |
5.46 (139) |
5.60 (142) |
4.13 (105) |
5.06 (129) |
5.61 (142) |
3.07 (78) |
4.77 (121) |
3.63 (92) |
5.11 (130) |
6.01 (153) |
59.40 (1,509) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.4 (1.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.3 (3.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.5 | 12.6 | 10.6 | 10.1 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 13.1 | 9.6 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.9 | 11.9 | 127.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.3 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020) | |||||||||||||
Population and People
The population of Spring City has changed over the years. Here's how it has grown:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 598 | — | |
| 1900 | 640 | 7.0% | |
| 1910 | 1,039 | 62.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,001 | −3.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,090 | 8.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,569 | 43.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,725 | 9.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,800 | 4.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,756 | −2.4% | |
| 1980 | 1,951 | 11.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,199 | 12.7% | |
| 2000 | 2,025 | −7.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,981 | −2.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,949 | −1.6% | |
| Sources: | |||
2020 Census Information
In 2020, there were 1,949 people living in Spring City. These people made up 935 households, with 537 of them being families.
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Spring City in 2020:
| Group | Number of People | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 1,745 | 89.53% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 53 | 2.72% |
| Native American | 5 | 0.26% |
| Asian | 13 | 0.67% |
| Other/Mixed | 80 | 4.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 53 | 2.72% |
Education in Spring City
The local schools are part of the Rhea County Schools district.
- Spring City Elementary School
- Spring City Middle School
- Rhea County High School (the only high school in the district)
Images for kids
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The Spring City Depot, completed in 1909.
See also
In Spanish: Spring City (Tennessee) para niños
